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3 Killed, 11 Injured in Gatesville Hospital Explosion

A third
man died from injuries sustained in an explosion at Coryell Memorial Hospital
in Gatesville, Texas, which occurred on June 26, 2018. The latest victim,
Wilber Dimas, suffered burns to more than 70 percent of his body and had
undergone numerous surgeries since the blast.

Texas
authorities have already completed preliminary investigations into the
explosion and its cause, but Dimas’ family—in the hope of conducting further
investigation that may shed light on the tragedy—successfully sought a
restraining order to prevent the scene of the explosion from being cleaned up.
Construction at the hospital, which was already under renovation when the
explosion occurred, resumed in the weeks following the incident.

Massive
Hospital Explosion Shook Nearby Buildings, Knocked Out Power

Numerous
construction workers were on site at Coryell Memorial Hospital helping with
what the hospital described as a major renovation when the explosion occurred.Authorities
believe that the explosion was centered in a boiler room, where crews were
working at approximately 2:00 p.m. when witnesses say they heard an incredibly
loud bang. Ominous black smoke began to billow from the site, and a portion of
the building near the explosion collapsed.

Patients
at the hospital were immediately evacuated and taken to nearby facilities, but
because of the blast's location none suffered injuries. All injured individuals
were working for contractors hired to assist with the hospital's renovations.

The force
of the explosion was enough to knock out power to not only the hospital but two
nearby nursing homes and hundreds of homes in Gatesville. The power outages at
the nursing homes (the Oaks at Coryell and the Meadows) forced an evacuation of
residents.

Who Was
Killed in the Coryell Memorial Hospital Explosion?

The death
toll from the explosion at Coryell Memorial Hospital has continued to change in
the weeks since the incident. Only one victim, Michael Bruggman, was pronounced
dead on the day of the explosion. Since then two more men have died from
injuries sustained in the blast, and it is possible that still more may lose
their lives, with eight out of 11 injured individuals still hospitalized as of
July 12, 2018.

Wilber
Dimas

The most
recent victim to succumb to injuries from the Gatesville hospital explosion was
30-year-old Wilber Dimas. Dimas had suffered devastating injuries in the
explosion, with burns to 70 percent of his body. Dimas' doctors later
discovered burns inside his lungs, and he subsequently contracted pneumonia. He
passed away July 15, 2018, after being in a medically-induced coma at Dell
Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas following the explosion.

Man dies from his injuries weeks after hospital explosion

Wilber Dimas, a victim of the Coryell Memorial Hospital explosion, died Sunday morning. He was in the intensive care unit at the Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas.

Dimas'
family was vocal about their fight to help Wilber survive, and about their
quest for answers as to why the explosion happened. On GoFundMe Wilber's sister
detailed that her brother had been working inside the hospital during the
incident and that he had called their mother at approximately 3:00 p.m. to tell
her he was not well and going to the hospital. They were the last words he
spoke to her.

Michael
Bruggman

Forty-three-year-old
Michael Bruggman was the first victim to die from the Gatesville hospital
explosion. Bruggman, a construction supervisor with Lochridge-Priest, died the
day of the incident.

A GoFundMe
set up for Bruggman remembers him as an incredibly loving uncle, whose biggest
concern if anything ever happened to him was that his nieces and nephews be
well taken care of. The fundraising page also says that Bruggman was proud of
his work as a construction supervisor and that he mentored others to help them
become tradesmen.

Hundreds of people attended a July 2, 2018, memorial for Bruggman,
where he was repeatedly described as having a big smile and a bigger heart.

Filiberto
Morales

Thirty-six-year-old
Filiberto Morales worked with Network Controls, an electrical subcontractor
brought in for the Coryell Memorial Hospital renovation project. He died two
days after the explosion on Thursday, June 28, 2018, at 3:45 p.m. at Baylor
Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas.

Father
and Son Among Those Injured in Texas Hospital Explosion

Eight
injured victims remained hospitalized throughout Texas at San Antonio Military
Medical Center, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and Dell Seton Medical Center,
including Vernon and Justin Barabas, a father and son who were both working on
the renovation and are now in critical condition with severe burns that are
primarily second and third degree.

Victim's
Family Files for Restraining Order to Preserve Explosion Evidence

On July
10, 2018, Coryell Memorial Hospital Marketing Director Carly Latham said that
renovation construction had resumed at the hospital, but a restraining order
obtained by the family of Wilber Dimas halted any cleanup at the site of the
explosion.

An
attorney for the family said they hope to use the preserved incident site to
recreate the explosion, similar to how investigators recreate a fire. Latham
said that they had already been waiting to clean up the blast area because of
the insurance company's desire to inspect it.

Natural
Gas Line Was Part of Explosion

Though
details are few, the State Fire Marshal's Office has completed their forensic
examination and, based on the initial investigation, are calling the incident a
"construction-related accident resulting in a natural gas explosion."
Further investigation is necessary to reach a full conclusion.

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